Response:

Since it says the boy likes to get a lot of attention, this disorder could be some what kind of like Histrionic Personality Disorder. This is because a person with this disorder really enjoys being the center of all attention. In this case, Mario intentionally goes into unsanitary areas to get an illness. This shows he is purposely doing these things to get sick, in order to get attention. This also is something that a person with Histrionic Personality Disorder would do. Mario also enjoys going to the hospital because in hospitals you are taken care of and given a lot of attention. I can tell he seeks getting attention and loves it when he does. This case seems to be quite sever because he infects himself in very harmful ways. He does what it takes to get to the hospital to get attention. Although Mario is in pain, he seems to think it is worth it. All of this is very close to Histrionic Personality Disorder. I believe in this case, Mario does indeed have Histrionic Personality Disorder.

Treatment:
The best treatment for this type of disorder is psychotherapy. Family or group approaches are not wise with this kind of disorder. This is because the person with this disease will draw attention themselves and exaggerate a lot of things. The therapist should be focused on the short-term, not the long-term change or problems in the persons life. Should be more focused on short-term. People with this disorder show suicidal behavior. Therefore, suicide should be assessed and talked about regularly. The therapist should treat the patient in a fair way and also with respect. In order for the treatment to be somewhat successful, all of the things mentioned above should be met. This is probably the fastest way to help “cure” a person from this type of disorder.



Source:
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx17t.htm
January 8th 2010